And yet here the UCLA football team is, 4-5 with three games left, two wins to glory, or at least to a bowl payoff, in an eerily similar scenario as last season.

In 2009, the Bruins responded to the adversity, defeating Washington State and Arizona State to become bowl eligible before falling to USC in the regular-season finale.

UCLA then defeated Temple in the Eagle Bank Bowl 30-21 capping off a 7-6 season, a year after a disastrous 4-8 debut for Rick Neuheisel.

As the Bruins embark on their first of three remaining games - today's 5 p.m. matchup at Washington's Husky Stadium on ESPN - they remember it well.

"We've done it before," said UCLA junior safety Tony Dye, who ranks second on the team with 69 tackles. "We're in the same position we were last year, and with the way our team is on the rise in terms of execution and focus, we've got the same chance."

After back-to-back losses - a 35-7 shellacking at Cal and a 60-13 hatchet job at Oregon on a Thursday-night, prime-time showing following a bye - the Bruins have responded.

Though they fell to Arizona 29-21 on Oct. 30, the game was in question throughout and they held the 15th-ranked Wildcats in check in the red zone.

On Nov. 6 - UCLA had another bye last Saturday - the Bruins defeated Oregon State 17-14 on a last-second field goal by Kai Forbath.

With a road date at Arizona State on Nov. 26 and the season-ending blood feud with the Trojans at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 4, the Bruins know the path to the postseason starts in Seattle.

"I don't know that urgency is the right word," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "Certainly an enthusiasm, an excitement to finish the season strong. We need to capitalize on that."

They need to start by capitalizing on Jake Locker's tender condition.

Locker suffered a broken rib against Oregon State on Oct. 16 and missed the Huskies' last game, a 53-16 loss to Oregon on Nov. 6 with backup Keith Price coming in for relief. Locker returned to practice earlier this week before finally being medically cleared to play Tuesday.

All along, the Bruins expected him to play on what is expected to be a rainy night.

"He's a great competitor, a great quarterback, and he doesn't have any weaknesses - he can do it all," UCLA junior safety Rahim Moore said. "He can run, he can throw, he probably can hit if he played defense. That's one guy with God-given talent."

UCLA is starting to match talent with talent more and more.

The Bruins' young crop of freshmen and sophomores are coming of age right before Neuheisel's eyes, more than a dozen in prominent roles.

The biggest role? Sophomore quarterback Richard Brehaut, who has taken strides the past two weeks both in confidence and performance.

Brehaut threw two long touchdown passes against Arizona and followed with a clutch performance against the Beavers, rushing for a season-high 61 yards and a touchdown while leading the team down the field for the winning field goal.